ITV This Morning future in turmoil as plummeting ratings spark 'massive question mark' over possible axe

Schofield - who recently made a return to the spotlight after a year out - quit ITV in May last after admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a male member of staff on the show.

Willoughby followed suit in October 2023 after returning to front the show with a rotating roster of co-hosts following Schofield's exit.

In the months after Willoughby's departure, ITV viewers vented their frustration at a lack of stability when it came to the show's presenting makeup - that was until February when Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard were unveiled as permanent hosts.

However, in the months since they took over the reins for good, it's been reported ITV were not expecting the ratings to underwhelm as much as they have compared to Schofield and Willoughby's tenure.

After over a million tuned into their first show in March, by May that figure had more than halved with The Sun reporting This Morning averaged approximately 486,000 with Deeley and Shephard at the helm.

The figures are in stark contrast to the BBC's rival Morning Live which regularly attracts north of a million viewers daily.

According to the aforementioned publication, a source has alleged the viewing figures have resulted in crisis talks among ITV bosses about This Morning's future on the air.

A TV insider allegedly told The Sun: "Nobody at This Morning thought viewing figures would dip beneath the landmark low of half a million.

"The arrival of Ben and Cat was supposed to spark a resurgence and hopefully keep the ratings above the million mark.

"But within a couple of weeks it became apparent they hadn’t done the trick while their nemesis Morning Live stayed strong.

"Now there is a massive question mark lingering over the future of the show as it’s difficult to justify the huge costs of making a live, daily show, especially at a time when ad revenues for linear TV are so low."

GB News has contacted ITV for comment on the claims.

A spokesperson for the channel told the Sun in response to the remarks: "This Morning continues to reach over four million viewers a week and remains one of the most streamed programmes on ITVX in 2024.

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"The award-winning show has never had a better connection with viewers; with 11 million followers across This Morning social media platforms and almost 130 million video views of This Morning content each month, reaching an average of 62 million unique social media accounts every month."

The claims are the latest blow to the show which saw its odds plummet earlier this month for it to be cancelled.

This Morning now stands at odds-on to be axed within the next 12 months.

Lee Astley, spokesperson for betideas.com, said earlier this month: "Since Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley took the reins hosting This Morning on ITV, the viewing figures have reportedly plummeted, which has resulted in the show being odds-on to be axed within the next 12 months at 4/5.

"Should ITV deem the show worthy of continuation, This Morning is even-money to avoid cancellation within the next year."